Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat
by SpiritDetectiveKira
Summary: After running away from home, Claire Alden is left with no money and no where to go in the streets of Manhattan. What is a 16 year old Upper Class runaway to do? The Newsies have the answer. Spot-X-OC


_**Disclaimer: I do not own NEWSIES, all I own is my OC. Everything else besides my plot is owned by Disney.**_

 _ **Now that that is out of the way, enjoy!**_

~*~*~*Story Start*~*~*~

My heart wouldn't stop pounding. It beat against my eardrums insistently, seeming to echo off the silent streets of the Bronx as I tried merge into the shadows. It was all I could hear and every few seconds I would look over my shoulders, waiting to see a figure following. For the life of me I couldn't distinguish my ragged breathing from my footsteps. It was stupid of me to be walking by myself so late at night, in the Bronx no less, but it was now or never and the latter was not an option I was willing to take. However, despite my resolve, my nerves were trying their damnedest to cripple me and send me crawling back home to my nice warm bed.

With all the resolve I could muster, I kept pressing forward, desperately trying to gain control over my breathing. I was already feeling my head begin to fog with light-headedness, and there was no way in hell I was going to pass out in the middle of the street. There would be two outcomes to that: 1) whoever was prowling could undoubtedly take advantage of me, or 2) I would be found and brought back to my family. I wasn't going to take either scenario, not if I could do anything about it.

It wasn't until I saw the station down the block that I felt myself begin to relax, hope blossoming in my chest. My ticket to freedom was now staring me in the face, and all the anxiety that had plagued my life for the last few months seemed like a distant memory. Shifting my bag higher on my shoulder, I straightened my posture and walked towards the window with purpose. Quickly melting into the mask I had perfected in my etiquette lessons, I put on my sweetest smile.

"Hello, sir," I greeted in the upper register of my voice, startling the old man out of his reading. "May I please have a ticket to Manhattan, please?"

Eyebrows furrowed from behind thin lenses. "At this time of night, young lady?" he asked.

"Yes, it is a bit of an emergency," I lied, making my smile start to strain. The one thing that I could say about those horrible lessons is that it made me a damn good actress. "I was to be at my fiancé's last night, but some unfortunate circumstances have left me very late."

The ticket teller, however, regarded me with an unsure gaze. I swallowed back a chill, knowing that no matter how well practiced, I could do nothing about how unladylike it was for me to be alone at such a time. It was unheard of for someone my age to not have an escort when going on a cable car, so me being here at around 3 in the morning was damn near impossible. Taking in a soft breath, I put on the saddest puppy eyes I could muster.

It must have worked, as he let out a reluctant sigh and held out his hand for my money. "Be careful out there, miss, you never know with some people," he said, handing me my ticket.

"Thank you, I will," I said, smiling genuinely.

Ticket in hand I headed inside, the small bit of warmth inside the building a great relief. It may have been spring, but there was no way the nights were getting warmer as well. I brought my shawl closer around me, sitting in an unoccupied part of the waiting area, keeping an ear out for my ride. Luckily it was only ten minute wait, but I still couldn't help my anxiety. Someone could definitely wake up and think to check on me, and find me gone.

I quickly prayed that that wouldn't happen.

My stomach churned in fear, a chill running down my spine at the thought. What kind of punishment would I face if I got caught trying to run away? Would they beat me? They have never done it before, but I also had never caused them to. Would they be so mad as to hit me? Would they do something worse? So many thoughts swam through my head, and tears began to form as the thoughts increased in volume and intensity. I was so scared, but not matter how terrified I didn't even want to think about what would have happened if I did stay. The thoughts of back then made these seem so childish in comparison.

The combination of the announcement and the streetcar whistle shocked me, and I looked at the clock to see that the car had arrived right on time. Clearing my head with a rough shake I grabbed my bag and headed back out into the cold, handing my ticket to the collector.

I chose the emptiest area, which wasn't that hard of a task, and rested my head against the windowsill. It was only minutes later when the streetcar started to move did I let my body relax entirely. No-one had noticed my disappearance, no-one came looking for me. I was completely free. The realization alone made a bright grin spread across my lips, something I haven't done in months. My relief was so great I had to bite down my laughter, but the tears wouldn't be held back. They streamed down my cheeks without restraint, and at that moment I didn't care. I was the happiest I had been in so long, and I was going to let myself feel that without any shame.

Sleep came very easily, and I dreamt with my smile never falling.

* * *

 ** _Lol, guess whose back and with another story? Me~~~~!_**

 ** _Yeah, sorry about that, but this story has been in my mind for years and I could never get it out. Now, for some strange reason, I have the motivation to actually write it! Hopefully you guys will like this, and hopefully this fandom isn't too dead because I got back into it again after years and gaaaah. ._ **


End file.
